Insights from Philip Yancey's personal pilgrimage away from and back to the church—what made him walk away, and what drew him back. Why are there so many more professing Christians than churchgoing Christians? Is it because something is wrong with the church? In his candid, thought-provoking manner, award-winning author Philip Yancey reveals the reasons behind his own journey back from skepticism to wholehearted participation in the church. This book: Weighs the church's human failings against its compelling worth as the body of Christ. Looks into what God may have in mind for His church. Discusses how the church can reach beyond its walls and into the communities and lives around it to be more than just “Sunday worship.” Yancey does not whitewash the church's faults. He sets them against the overwhelming balance of its strengths: its heart for God, its care for the hurting, its outreach to the lost, and its value as family and community. This book is for anyone who’s ever wondered: Why bother with church?

A short, readable book that explains clearly and simply what the church is and why it really matters. The church has an image problem. It is widely viewed in the world at large as being outdated, boring, irrelevant and filled with backbiting hypocrites. How different that picture is to how the Bible talks about the new family that Jesus has gathered. It is a precious bride, a sparkling jewel, a lifeboat for forgiven sinners that is precious and holy; nurturing and warm; filled with truth, friendship and all embracing, forgiving love. Sam Allberry understands the collision between these two views, and how, even as Christian believers, we can lose sight of how truly wonderful church is and should be, and what a privilege it is to be part of, and to serve. In this brief accessible but thorough guide to church, Sam outlines what church is and why we need it. And how, when we have got it wrong, we can move closer to what a true church should be. Part of the Questions Christians Ask series: a range of short, simple books designed to help Christians understand what God has said about these questions and many more in the Bible.

We are living in a time in which we are seeing a rapid unravelling of institutional structures in Western society and a re-alignment of values. The church is not faring well in this process. This book takes the form of an earthed and practical theology and asks the question ‘what is the church?’ Rather than a purely theoretical, or a purely pragmatic approach, it looks to the radical Reformers of the sixteenth century and finds there an emphasis on the church’s invisible realities and on community both of which have a relevance to the twenty-first century.

Consider for a moment that single mothers have become a formidable, sizeable demographic in the US. To neglect to minister to them biblically is to neglect a broad segment of our society, and ministering to single mothers is a way to help reshape and reform society for the better. Single mothers are often locked in poverty and toiling under tremendous stress and responsibility. How to Start a Single Mothers’ Ministry in Your Church examines the steps required to better serve this group in practical, emotional, and spiritual ways. About the Author Dr. Gwenevere Bullard-Swift is a licensed ordain pastor in the Christian Methodist Episcopal church. She is a 2019 graduate of South University with a Doctor of Ministry Degree. She received a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theology Center in Atlanta, Georgia (Phillips School of Theology). She has been pastoring for more than forty years. Bullard-Swift’s special interests are spending time with her husband, reading, writing books, attending bible study, and watching TV. She has been married to a devoted and loving husband for nineteen years. He is supportive and always encouraging her to go further. Bullard-Swift has one son, Johnny.

Think of your local church. Without art--music, song, dance, etc.--it would be a much poorer place. But if protestants have any vision for the arts, it tends to be a thin one. This unique book is an attempt to contribute to a robust, expansive vision for the church and the arts. Its specific aim is to show how the many parts of the landscape of church and art hold together. You can think of it as a kind of helicopter flyover, but one with expert pilots. The guides include the likes of Eugene Peterson, Lauren Winner, Jeremy Begbie, Andy Crouch, and John Witvliet, helping to inspire readers and empower pastor-leaders with a vision of the church and the arts that is compelling, far-seeing, and profoundly transformative.

Leadership makes a difference. Leaders directly impact the success or failure of any group or church. Excellent leaders direct churches to successfully accomplish their goals, fulfill their missions, and create a vibrant fellowship of believers who significantly influence their communities for Christ. Poor leaders can undermine the mission of a church, devastate the reputation of a fellowship, and sometimes dissolve the ministries of a congregation. The effects of average leaders are variable. They often allow churches to limp along, to become routine, even stale, or to just survive from week to week. Many factors challenge churches already, and ineffective leadership can make those challenges even more difficult to conquer. A primary reason why leaders struggle so often is a lack of understanding and training in the basic principles of genuine leadership. Further confounding this lack of understanding is the promotion of contemporary philosophies about leadership that can distort those basic concepts of leadership. This ignorance is not the fault of pastors who have a sincere desire to lead effectively, but the training in leadership at many seminaries is often limited. Leadership at the Crossroads addresses some of those concerns. What is leadership? What leadership style works best? How can ministers more effectively motivate their congregations? How can pastors direct the planning process, promote decision making, properly delegate responsibilities, and initiate change? What methods are effective in conflict resolution? These questions, as well as others, are addressed in Leadership at the Crossroads.

The author, P.J. Day and his two brothers and two sisters grew up in the magical valley of Tesuque (Tazookey), located about five miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. One of the family pets was a little gray burro they had named Pedro, who was less than a year old when he came to live with them. While reminiscing about that marvelous childhood on Christmas Day 2001, the first book, A Burro's Tale was conceived. Some years after that, the story continued in Call of the Burro and now the third book in the series; The Burro's Colt. The setting for The Burro's Colt continues to be the Tesuque Valley. Some of the original burros from A Burro's Tale and Call of the Burro remain on the ranch. Many of which have become too old to rent out for any serious work, but continue to be loved and cared for by Raphael and his family. In this third book in the series the burros are more in the background of the story rather than the story revolving around the burros many adventures. A twist of fate places Pedro in the position of serving Jesus once again in his time of need. Jesus and the Holy Family have returned to Jerusalem after being gone for some eighteen years. The Burro's Colt places the reader in numerous situations throughout the book that the reader must determine what they themselves may have decided to do under the same circumstances. Especially, if they were put in the kind of danger that taking the wrong side might have placed them in, within what has undoubtedly become the greatest story ever told.